Translational Research Branch and Programs

Programs

The Translational Research Branch has a broad array of programs that advance aging research through intervention testing and model development and use. TRB also supports research on resilience, stress, regeneration, and reproductive systems. Explore details about each program below:

Stem Cells and Regenerative Biology Program

This program supports research on somatic stem cells, how aging affects their tissue regeneration capacity, and mechanistically targeted approaches to promote tissue function restoration.

Topics may include:

• Tissue engineering and biomaterials to restore function(s) lost due to aging
• Rejuvenation research on the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which interventions impact the potential to restore function (e.g., "reverse" aging)
• Stem cell research, including mechanisms regulating stem cell changes and their functional consequences
• Common and unique features of stem cell aging in various tissues, and effects of stem cell-niche interactions on aging
• Mechanisms that can be activated or utilized to promote tissue regeneration, or by which lifespan-extending interventions impact stem cell function

Program Contact: Tiziana Cogliati , Ph.D.

Interventions for Healthspan and Longevity Program

Topics may include:

• Nutritional and metabolic interventions (longitudinal and cross-sectional)
• Drug/compound interventions (longitudinal and cross-sectional)
• Mechanisms of calorie restriction
• Circadian regimen of dietary and other interventions

Program Contact: Christy Carter , Ph.D.

Molecular Resilience and Response to Stress Program

The program supports basic and geroscience research of biological responses to stress and molecular resilience, as well as its impact on healthspan and longevity.

Topics may include:

• Molecular and cellular mechanisms of stress response (environmental, chemical, molecular, and/or biological) with age
• Molecular and cellular mechanisms of resilience with age
• Model systems to quantify stress response and molecular resilience mechanisms with age
• Role of molecular resilience on maintenance of intrinsic capacities
• The interactions between response to stress and healthspan/lifespan-extending interventions.

Program Contact: Jennifer Fox , Ph.D.

New Technologies and In Silico Models Program

This program aims to foster the development of innovative tools and technologies that can be applied to the study of biological aging mechanisms.

Topics may include:

• Applications of artificial intelligence, machine learning, or health monitoring technologies to the study of aging, including "digital twins" in aging research
• Computational, bioinformatic, and statistical approaches in aging biology research
• Technology development for imaging modalities and visualization tools as applied to aging
• Novel sensors and biomarkers for monitoring age-related changes and diseases
• Less invasive and more ubiquitous ways of collecting biological and diagnostic data
• Biomedical engineering, synthetic biology, and biophysical approaches
• Developing new in silico models for aging studies

Program Contact: Leonid Tsap , Ph.D.

Comparative Biology of Aging Program

This program supports research on aging mechanisms and Geroscience across several species that are not commonly used in the lab, including nonhuman primates.

Topics may include:

• Novel animal models to be used in basic aging and geroscience research
• Testing findings from inbred animals in outbred laboratory animals, domestic, and/or wild populations
• Comparison of aging mechanisms in non-traditional species

Program Contact: Manuel Moro , Ph.D., D.V.M.

Mechanisms of Sex Differences and Reproductive Aging Program

Based on a growing body of evidence showing that sex is a critical biological variable, this program seeks to support research examining the mechanistic bases of sex differences in organ function across multiple organs and ages, as well as the role of aging on the human reproductive system, and their impact on health outcomes.

Topics may include:

• Sexual dimorphism in aging biology
• Mechanistic bases and impact of sex differences in aging and age-related diseases
• Cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive age-related functional decline in reproductive systems (i.e., ovarian aging, menopause, and andropause)
• Mechanisms by which pregnancy affects the aging process and age-related health outcomes
• Mechanisms by which the decline in reproduction affects age-related health outcomes
• Effects and mechanisms of age-related changes in reproductive systems on other organ functions

Program Contact: Fei Wang , Ph.D.

Contact Information

Branch Chief:

Fei Wang , Ph.D.

Program Officers:

Christy Carter , Ph.D.
Tiziana Cogliati , Ph.D.
Jennifer Fox , Ph.D.
Manuel Moro , Ph.D., D.V.M.
Leonid Tsap, Ph.D.

Looking for program officials? Use the Matchmaker tool in the NIH RePORTER to easily find staff associated with specific projects or types of research. Enter abstracts, research bios, or other scientific text, and explore a list of similar projects and program officials from the RePORTER.

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